St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-04-02
DOGS WHO OWNED HIM.
Stories Showing How They Pos
sessed Their Master"


. Big Heart-NoFa's Way Of PFvtAg
Up Q Wlndow-Restlees F1dgot.
Ihave been owned by . good many
dogs in the course of my life, and l am
not little proud of the fact. They say
it is good sign in man when children
and dogs take kindly to him. All dogs
take kindly to me. and l look upon it as
an Endorsement Of some merit in my
character The first desire of every
well-balanced dog is to own q man.
Without such possession he is spurned
by his fellows and despised by small
boys.
All dogs know at once whether q
stranger Of their own race owns a man
or not. Whether it is the hang of his
ears and tail. or general negligence
about his personal appearance. or lack
of confidence in his general bearing. l
can not say, but certain it is that all
well-fixed. or ill-fixed, dogs at once de-
tect a manless brother bOw-wOw. The
tramp-dog recognizes his fellow tramp
dogs, and consorts with him.
There are dogs who are tramps by
nature, who will never stick to mas
ter; but such cases, I am happy to say,
are very rare-more rare than even
tramp-cats, who, one would think. from
their natural love of warmth and COM
fort, would jump at any kind of de-
cent home. And yet am personally
acquainted with several tramp-cats, and
very nice, decent cats. too.
Some men think they own dogs, and
perhaps few of them do. but as gen.
eral rule the dog owns the man. For
my part, l would not care two straws
for do;, had to own. Iprefer being
owned. and glory in my servitude.
The first dog I remember who took
possession of me was black and white
spaniel. which my father brought home
when was boy. It selected me al
once, out of six children, as its master.
and it Glove to me ever after. We chris.
tened him Fop. He was not a fop.
however, but a rather grouty old dog,
with . chronic growl, which meant
nothing.
Ihave never seen another dog with
that growl. He would growl and wae
his tail at the same time. He growled
when he was pleased, just as cal
purrs. He was q most intelligent dog,
and understood every word l said to
him. There was no need of any motion
of the hands, or even of the mouth OF
eyes. 1t was not necessary even to look
at him to make him comprehend.
He used to be in ecstasies il l would
allow him to accompany me in my
walks; but were going to any place
where could not take him. had only
to say. ''Fop, 60 home" and he would
sink slowly back, looking round every
now and then with the most piteous ex-
preston. in hope of seeing some show
Of relenting On my part. Then. If did
relent. he would come tearing after me
and whirl himself round and round. like
apin-wheel on the Fourth Of July.
Fop was very fond Of fruit, and would
make excursions round the garden when
the gooseberries were ripe and pick
them off the bushes. In cherry time
used often to climb up the trees to pick
the fruit perhaps no boy ever did such
thing before), which I would throw
down. while Fop kept guard below.
He never thought Of touching one till
gave him permission, but when said
Those are for you. Fop." he would
pounce on the bunch indicated like CO,
on a mouse, and gobble it up immedi.
ately.
Fopused to do many wonderful things,
I am certain, though forget now what
they were. for he reigned forty years
ago. He stuck to me faithfully fol
many years, and, know, would neve,
have given me up. had he not been
stolen one day in the crowded streets
l never saw the poor fellow again.
The next dog, l remember, who
owned me was King Charles spaniel,
which was so small that it could stand
on the palm of my hand. She tool
possession Of me; so l had to buy he,
for two dollars and = half, which was 8
pretty good price for q dog in those
days. Though her body was small, he,
heart was as big rs q lions. She was
afraid of nothing, and would have at.
tackled an ironclad If it had come in he,
way.
One day 1 saw her run after and furi.
ously assail huge Newfoundland dog
big enough to swallow her whole like
an oyster. As soon IS the big dog be
came aware that he was attacked. ht
turned round his head. gave one lool
At the tiny aggressor, and then. with
the magnanimity peculiar to dogs
walked on without taking any further
Another time took her out to vall
across the fields to . place where the,
were building railway bridge over !;
dixie or ditch shout forty feet wide
The Roadway a the bridge was NO
eompleted. but . single beam Of timbe